Teaching Methods
by EnlightenedElementalWarrior
Summary: Just a one-shot about Zuko's reign and Korra's firebending training.


**This is a story about Fire Lord Zuko not dying before Legend of Korra and meeting Korra and so on. Please read and review. Thank You. If I owned Avatar, then Zutara would have happened. ;) But alas, it is not so. Cannon Pairings.**

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Fire Lord Zuko opened his eyes and squinted as the blinding light of the morning sun slowly peared at him and the land. He slowly raised his head and torso out of bed. Fire Lord Zuko then sighed. He had been doing his duties as Fire Lord for over 60 years. In that sixty years, most of his friends had died. Even the Avatar, his best friend left for the spiritual world. The Avatar, who could only die when attacked while in the Avatar State. The Avatar, who was reborn into the next element. Aang had been born an Airbender. Now the new Avatar had been found, a young girl from the Southern Water Tribe, Korra.

Fire Lord Zuko had yet to meet this young girl. From what he was able to understand, she only knew water as her only known mastered element. When Toph taught this girl as she had once trained Aang in Earthbending, he would take it upon himself to teach her Firebending. Lord Zuko chuckled to himself knowing how Toph would train Avatar Korra. He almost felt sorry for Korra. Or maybe his daughter, Ursa could teach Korra the ways of being a firebender. Zuko was rather old and not in the prime of his youth anymore. Zuko thought of this while he had a bath. He bathed in a tub heated by his firebending. He groaned as the heated water cleared away all the knots and tense muscles from his sleep and the day before.

Zuko only had one child. Ursa was his daughter. Mai had left years before Ursa was born. Zuko had been a solemn ruler without his wife with him. Ursa was more of the woman she was named after. She had Zuko's eyes, and his firebending power. He had taught her the secrets of bending lightning after Iroh had died. She was the true pride and joy he had hoped she would be. Her beauty was known throughout the world. Fire Lord Zuko almost started another war against all men, whenever they came near Ursa. Ursa then married a Fire Nation noble's son, who Zuko had known since he was a boy as he always played with the mother noble's children whenever there was a meeting. Zuko approved of him, not only because he was a good man and perfect for his daughter, but because he saw himself in that young man. The boy understood that he would not rule the Fire Nation. He may have been of noble blood but not the royal blood. Ursa would rule. Zuko knew the Fire Nation was in good hands when he would pass on.

Fire Lord Zuko went to the grand dining hall and had breakfast with his kin. Ursa, and her husband and their teenage child ate while Zuko told them of his plan of absense.

"I will be going to the Southern Water Tribe for a while, " he paused to inspect everyone's looks. He was pleased to see that no one said anything, or moved. They were all rooted to the spot. This was the first time he had ever traveled alone and for such a long time. Finally Ursa said, "Why are you going, father?"

The reverance in her voice was matched by the young boy who also asked why he would leave in his cracking voice.

Zuko smiled at his grandson, Iroh. "I need to train the new Avatar, she needs to know firebending. Once that mission is complete I will have a surprise for you all." Iroh started trying to profile his grandfather's unreadible face for answers as to what the 'surprise' might be. He found nothing.

Ursa left dinner early to go prepare the Fire Lord leadship. As soon his mother left the room, Iroh turned back to his grandfather. "Can I go with you?" He asked eagerly.

"No." Iroh's father said before Zuko could say the same thing. "Son, you are young. Too young to go anywhere. You get in far too much trouble." He added teasingly as an afterthought.

The table exploded in laughter. Iroh clutched his stomach while Zuko grinned looking at his son-in-law. "As I recall you would convince Ursa to try and steal sweet from all the shops, whenever we went into town, so I wouldn't talk." The younger man pouted like a child.

Iroh laughed harder. "Is that true?" Zuko nodded while Iroh's father shook his head like a madman, too embarrassed to admit the truth.

"Well what about you, old man? You got in plenty of trouble from the stories I heard Mai tell me and Ursa when we were little." Zuko looked confused for a minute then panic flooded his face. "Don't you dare tell the boy." Zuko threatened.

"Hey I wanna know!" Iroh protested. The two men ignored him and proceeded to have a silent staring contest. After a while of not breaking each other's gaze, Iroh got annoyed, "Excuse me but the boy wants to know the story." A second later, Zuko looked at Iroh and said "So you admit you are still a child?" Iroh blushed beet red. His father banged his fist on the table as he laughed in more raucous sounds.

Ursa came back to see a confusing scene. "What is going on in here? I leave and you guys have a party. You just don't think I'm cool enough, is that it? The girl isn't fun." All three males start protesting.

"No, honey your fun, sometimes." Her husband insinuated, with a smirk.

"Mom, your cool, but your a firebender." Iroh turned on a cheeky grin.

"Sweetheart, you were fun and nice when you were little thought everything was funny, but face it. Aunt Katara and Aunt Suki could not crack a joke to save a life. You didn't see Aunt Toph and Aunt Ty Lee very much. Uncle Aang was doing Avatar stuff. Uncle Sokka has a crude sense of sarcasm. All you had was Uncle Iroh and spent half his time having tea parties with you. What is that supposed to mean firebenders are not cool?" Zuko snapped at Iroh after giving his speech to Ursa.

The night ended with much laughter and many arguements like the happy royal family they were.

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During the boarding of the Fire Lord's leadship, the small family with masses of commoners, soldiers, and nobility sent farewells to the great bringer of peace to their nation. On the dock, rows of soldiers stood at attention. Other boarded supplies for the journey. Ursa hugged her father with the strongest hug you would give the old Fire Lord without killing him. She said her tearful goodbyes, while her son also hugged Fire Lord Zuko.

"Goodbye grandfather. Good luck on your mission." The handsome, perfect prince was admired by all the young women and girls, he looked like a combination of his father and his grandfather. The youthful male had that his father strong features with Zuko's fiery complection.

Zuko spoke quietly to Iroh, "Do you still have that knife?" The knife that Iroh's namesake gave Zuko, who gave it to Ursa who passed it on to Iroh nodded. "That knife gave me what I have now due to what it taught me, use it well." Confusion engulfed Iroh as he looked on to Fire Lord Zuko board the ship with his army and leave. _What did it mean? I understand what the knife says, but it can't have a deeper message than that, can it?_

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On board the ship, Zuko sat in his quarters with guards in front of his door. He idly sipped his glass of red wine. He was writing a letter to his old friend Sokka. Sokka was now Chief of the Southern Water Tribe after his and Katara's father, Chief Hakoda had died. In his letter, Zuko stated that he was coming to meet and teach the new Avatar firebending.

Zuko sighed, as he finished the letter. He stamped it with the seal of the Fire Lord and gave it to a messenger hawk. He walked up to the deck. Soldiers and guards bowed respectfully to him as he went. He was met by the sunlight and sounds of the sea slapping against the ship. Hereleased the hawk to Sokka. He watched it fly out of sight, its black ribbon swishing in the wind.

Zuko proceeded to take off his armor and firebend to relieve his stress and waste the time. He could only hope that he could complete this one last mission until he would give up the throne and just be a simple ambassador. He hoped the Water Tribe no longer mad at him for leaving the Restoration Movement. Good thing he brought plent of fireflakes for Sokka.

As he moved, Zuko noticed one thing about his firebending, it was weaker than it ever had been. He was still strong, but now he needed to get his mission done or else, the Avatar would be in quite different hands when it came to firebending.

Maybe, he should let up some secrets to Ursa and Iroh when he got back, if he returned home. He also needed to tell Katara of the bloodline of Roku. Zuko had another mission in mind while teaching firebending to a young girl, and a girl at her age should pick this up quickly: When a leader becomes too arrogant, kill him.

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**Just a short one-shot. I thought it would be good to write about the life of Zuko before his retirement from the Fire Lord's position, and how Korra learnt firebending. I tried to be as cannon as possible, and as good as I can be with what happened after the war. Mai actually broke up with Zuko when she found out he took advice from his father in prison, I don't know if they got back together or not but I assume not. I think it would be a bit too obvious his daughter would be named Ursa, I mean come on, really. Hope you guys and gals liked it.**


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